Chapter 1
Getting chewed out by the cold-hearted CEO at work was the last thing I needed.
I pulled out my phone and secretly sent a WhatsApp message to my online romantic partner, Fawn.
I: [Just ran into a cold fish. What a drag.]
Right then, a notification pinged from the CEO's office.
Ethan picked up his phone, frowning as his long fingers tapped rapidly on the screen.
Right then, my phone buzzed.
Fawn: [Don't be mad, Sugarpie. Hug me.]
I stared at the familiar pink fawn icon and then looked up at Ethan, who was dressed in sharp suits with an icy demeanor. My stomach dropped instantly.
Seriously? Him? No freaking way!
But somehow, I still tapped the chat and sent a hug emoji.
Ethan's phone pinged again.
We both exclaimed in surprise at the exact same moment.
Ethan narrowed his eyes and flashed me a wicked, teasing smile.
At the time, my only thought was to bolt.
Oh, my God. My sweet, clingy online boyfriend, who was always begging for hugs and kisses, turned out to be my overbearing boss.
*****
It was my first day back at work after the holidays.
I woke up late and almost smashed my alarm clock.
I'd had a brutal fight at the boxing gym the night before, and now every muscle in my body was aching.
I grabbed my coat, carried a piece of bread in my mouth, and dashed into the subway station.
Once on the train, I glanced down at my phone to check the time. It was 8:45 AM.
Only fifteen minutes were left before the proposal meeting.
I was screwed.
As soon as I got off the subway, I rushed to the office building.
The elevator doors were about to close when I jammed my hand in to stop them.
They slid open, revealing a man in a sharp suit.
He was over 6 feet tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
His face was perfectly chiseled—strong jawline, straight nose, and lips pressed in a cold line.
It was a pity that he wore sunglasses. I couldn't even get a peek at his eyes.
Snapping out of it, I stepped in and forced a dry laugh. "Morning."
He ignored me and kept flipping through some papers.
So I snuck a peek at his name tag. It was Ethan Locke, the CEO.
Oh, it turned out he was the new domineering boss.
*****
The silence in the elevator was suffocating. I pulled out my phone and secretly sent a WhatsApp message to my online romantic partner, Fawn. [God, I just ran into my boss this morning. What a drag.]
Still feeling annoyed, I texted him again. [That blank face? I bet he's cold in bed.]
Right then, a notification pinged in the elevator.
My hand froze on the screen. Slowly, I looked up.
Stone-faced, Ethan pulled his phone out of his suit pocket and glanced at it.
Seriously? Him? No freaking way!
I stared at his phone screen, my heart pounding like I'd just finished five rounds in the ring.
He tapped the screen, his brow furrowing slightly. Then he looked up and stared at my face.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Wendy Wagner?" he asked, his voice cold.
"Yeah, that's me," I replied with a nervous laugh.
"You're late for the proposal meeting at nine o'clock," he said.
"No, I'm not," I protested.
*****
I quickly hit the button for the nearest floor, and as soon as the doors opened, I bolted out.
I skidded to a stop at the conference room door and burst in, totally out of breath. Instantly, all eyes turned to me.
Lacey Woodard, the director, shot me a glare. "Wendy, do you even know what day it is? It's Mr. Locke's first department meeting, and you dare show up late?"
I ducked my head, acting innocent. "Sorry, traffic was a nightmare."
"Traffic?" Lacey snorted. "Sounds like your brain circuitry got stuck instead."
Hoots of laughter rang out in the conference room.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan sitting at the head of the table, looking completely indifferent.
Steadying my nerves, I sat down and opened my laptop to prepare for the proposal.
The second the screen lit up, a WhatsApp notification popped up.
Fawn: [Good morning, Sugarpie. Don't let that jerk ruin your day. Love you, mwah.]
I stared at the familiar pink fawn icon, and my fingers trembled slightly.
There was no way it could be from my boss.
Slowly, I glanced up at Ethan, who was sitting at the head of the table.
He had his head down, reviewing documents with his long fingers resting on a pen. The cold gleam of his watch only seemed to emphasize his distant, unapproachable air, keeping everyone at a distance.
He was the complete opposite of the Fawn I knew on WhatsApp, calling me "Sugarpie" every day.
I took a deep breath, sneaking my phone under the table to type a reply. [Hey, babe, are you at work yet?] Then I hit send.
From Ethan's spot at the head of the table, his phone pinged.